'^ohe  PAN  AME:RICAN  UNION 

JOHN  BARRETT  : ; Director  General 

FRANCISCO  J.  YANES  : Assistant  Director 


Latin  American 
Foreign  Trade 

GENERAL  SURVEY 


REPRINTED  FROM  THE  DECEMBER.  1914.  ISSUE  OF 
THE  BULLETIN  OF  THE  PAN  AMERICAN  UNION 


WASHINGTON  , 


liATIN  AMERICAN  FOREIGN  TRADE  IN  1913 — A GENERAL  SURVEY. 


974 


THE  PAN 


AMERICAN  UNION. 


Total  foreign  trade. 

o 

$7, 763, 258 

1,533,254 

1 614,774 

1,034,440 

1 3,475,773 

' 1,047,780 

531,291 

9,701,226 

‘ 860,921 

■ 7,746,356 

6,818,865 

38,423,993 

3,452,424 

> 29,445,386 

2,973,118 

6,665,231 

> 1.37,081 

3,834,819 

■ 3,147,511 

11,412,800 

1,684,045 

42,011,474 

48,830,339 

1913 

$248, 088,977 

24,512,254 

16, 102,269 

8,432,932 

3 8,828, 336 

19,211,050 

12,467,556 

308,581,795 

19,742,225 

19,415,684 

685,383,078  I 

. 1 

877,711,376 

57,908,895 

641,593,196 

264,927,313 

62,851,600  ! 

> 24,044,260 

13,133,552 

74,001,062 

115,808,000 

47,513,892 

2,179,493,146 

2,864,876,224 

1912 

$240,325,719 
22,979,000 
16,717,043 
7, 397, 492 

3 12,304,109 
20,258,830 

11,936,266 

298,880,569 

20,603,146 

27,162,040 

678,564,213 

839,287,383 

54,456,471 

671,038,582 

261,954,195 

56, 186, 369 

> 24,181,341 

9,298,733 

70,853,551 

104,395,200 

45,829,847 

2,137,481,672 

2,816,045,885 

Exports. 

Increase. 

$1,208,244 
1,293,388 
> 13, 460 
220,076 
' 2,717,898 
361,409 
402,908 

I 8, 155, 269 

1 1,915,301 
> 5,969,926 

> 15,285,829 

3,019,892 

1,403,425 

i 47,630, 159 

4,775,111 

2,094,054 

997,459 

1,353,350 

1 1,461,894 

12,102,000 

4,222, 881 

19,123,881 

> 34,409,710 

1913 

$160,202,808 
14,449,926 
9,928, 724 
3,300,254 

3 3,861,516 
10,432,553 
2,467,556 
164,823,059 
10,469,947 
11,315,559 

381,251,902 

468, 999,410 
36,551,390 
315,164,687 
144,653,312 
34,315,800 
> 13,689,696 
5,462,001 

44,409,610 

65,142,000 

29,483,789 

1,157,871,696 

1,539,123,597 

1912 

$148,994,564 
13, 156, 538 
9,942,184 

3, 080, 178 
>6,579,414 
10,071,144 
2,064,648 
172,978,328 
12,385,248 
17,286,485 

396,537,731 

465,979,518 
35, 147,965 
362,794,846 
139,878,201 
32, 221,746 
> 12,692,237 
4,108,651 
45,871,504 
53,040,000 
25,260,908 

1,176,995,576 

1,573,533,307 

1 S 

/ o 

B 

Increase. 

$6,555,014 
239, 866 

1 601,314 
815,364 
> 757, 875 

I 1,409,189 
128,383 
17, 856, 495 
1,054,380 
> 1,776,430 

22,104,694 

35, 404,101 
2,048,999 
18,184,773 

1 1,801,993 
4,571,177 

1 1,134,540 
2,481,469 
4,609,405 
* 689,200 
> 2,538,^6 

40 

CO 

to 

CO 

<£) 

83,240,049 

1913 

$97,886,169 
10,062,328 
6,  173,545 
5,132,678 

3 4,966,820 
8,778,497 
< 10,000,000 
143, 758, 736 
9,272,278 
8,100,125 

304,131,176 

408,711,966 
21,357,505 
326,428,509 
1201274,001 
28,535,800 
> 10,354,564 
7,671,551 
29,591,452 
50,666,000 
18,030, 103 

40 

CO 

CM 

O 

<c> 

of 

40 

o- 

o^ 

CO 

1912 

1 

$91,331,155 
9, 822, 462 
6,774,859 
4,317,314 
> 5,724,695 
10,187,686 
9,871,617 
125,902,241 
8,217,898 
9,876,555 

282,026,482 

373,307,865 

19,308,506 

308,243,736 

122,075,994 

1 23,964,623 

> 11,489,104 
5,190,082 
24,982,047 
51,355,200 
20,568,939 

960,486,096 

, 1,242,512,578 

Countries. 

Mexico 

Guatemala 

Salvador 

Honduras 

Nicaragua 

Costa  Rica 

Panama 

Cuba 

Dominican  Republic 

Haiti  3 

North  American  Republics 

Argentina 

Bolivia 

Brazil 

Chile 

Colombia 

Ecuador 

Paraguay 

Peru 

Uruguay 

Venezuela 

South  American  Republics 

Total  Latin  America 

I Decrease.  * 1912  (latest  available  figures).  ® Fiscal  year  ending  Sept.  30, 1913. 

Partly  estimated,  imports  first  6 months,  $5,196,519. 


LATIM  AMEMCAN  FOIEIGN 
TRADE  IN  1913 -GENERAL 

SURVEY  /.  '/ 

The  foreign  commerce  of  the  20  Latin  American  countries 
for  the  year  1913,  customshouse  valuations,  was  $2,864,- 
876,224,  of  which  amount  $1,325,752,627  represented 
imports  and  $1,539,123,597  exports.  For  the  preceding 
year  the  figures  (revised  and  corrected)  are:  Imports,  $1,242,512,578; 
exports,  $1,573,533,307;  total,  $2,816,045,885.  The  increase  in 
imports  for  the  year  was  $83,240,049,  and  the  decrease  in  exports 
$34,409,710,  showing  a net  increase  in  the  total  trade  of  $48,830,339. 

The  decrease  in  exports  was  very  much  less  than  was  expected 
prior  to  the  compilation  of  these  statistics.  Nineteen  twelve  had 
shown  a phenominal  increase  of  over  $287,000,000  in  exports  as 
compared  with  1911.  It  was  thought,  therefore,  that  if  the  trade  of 
1913  came  within  $150,000,000  of  the  high  water  mark  of  1912,  it 
would  show  a most  satisfactory  and  flourishing  condition.  As  a 
matter  of  fact,  however,  it  falls  short  less  than  $34,500,000,  and 
exceeds  the  export  trade  of  1911  by  more  than  $250,000,000.  Even 
the  decrease  over  the  high-water  mark  of  19]  2 is  more  apparent 
than  real,  being  due  not  to  a shi'inkage  in  the  volume  of  exports, 
but  to  a fall  in  price  of  one  or  two  commodities. 

The  increase  in  imports  for  1913  over  the  preceding  year  is  approxi- 
mately the  same  as  the  increase  of  1912  over  191 1 . The  purchases  of 
Latin  T^unerican  countries  in  two  years  increased  about  $165,000,000. 

It  is  proper,  in  connection  with  the  figures  given  in  the  tables 
accompanying  this  survey,  to  state  that  these  figures,  when  used 
comparatively,  that  is  totals  of  one  country  compared  with  totals 
of  another,  do  not  represent  aggregates  of  identical  units  comparable 
the  one  with  the  other.  The  figures  are  in  aU  cases  based  on  customs- 
house valuatitms,  and  these  valuations  are  predicated  on  widely  differ- 
ing theories  of  appraisement.  LYtil  there  be  an  international  agree- 
ment for  uniformity  in  collecting  anfl  stating  cojnmercial  statistics, 
there  can  be  no  correct  totaling  or  comparisons  of  countries  in  groups. 
The  totalings  given  above  must  therefore  be  treated  as  approxima- 
tions only,  although  the  units  going  to  make  up  the  same  are  fairly 
accurate,  each  viewed  within  itself  and  from  its  own  standpoint. 
Of  course  comparisons  of  totals  by  years,  1912  and  1913  for  instance, 
being  composed  as  they  are  of  the  same  integers,  are  not  open  to  a 
like  criticism. 

In  many  of  the  Latin  American  countries — and  these  the  ones  hav- 
ing the  largest  trade — customsliouse  valuations  of  imports  are  based 

975 


976 


THE  PAN  AMERICAN  UNION. 


upon  rigid  appraisements  in  comparatively  few  classifications.  This, 
by  operation  of  forces  pressing  always  in  one  direction,  necessarily, 
shows  values  much  less  than  true  values. 

Valuations  in  exports,  generally  speaking,  approach  nearer  a 
uniform  standard,  and  in  addition  approximate  somewhat  more 
closely  commercial  values. 

CONSTANTLY  INCREASING  VOLUME  OF  TRADE. 

Comparisons  for  one  or  two  years  sometimes  fail  to  show  the  real 
comm^ercial  progress  of  the  countries  whose  statistics  are  under 
observation.  The  stream  of  imports  and  exports — the  former  de- 
pending for  its  volume  in  all  the  Latin  American  countries  on  the 
volume  of  the  latter — moves  by  undulations  and  not  under  constant 
pressure.  It  is  therefore  necessary,  in  order  to  arrive  at  something 
like  accurate  conclusions  in  estimating  the  trade  of  these  countries, 
to  take  for  comparison  longer  periods.  In  1897  the  imports  of  all 
the  Latin  American  countries  were  only  a little  over  $400,000,000, 
and  their  exports  for  that  year  less  than  $500,000,000.  In  1913  the 
imports  were  over  $1,300,000,000  and  the  exports  over  $1,500,000,000- 


Imports. 

Exports. 

1913 

$1,325,752,627 

415,079,562 

$1,539,123,597 

495,342,937 

1897 

Increase 

910, 673, 065 
219 
13.7 

1,043,780,660 

211 

13.2 

Percent  of  increase,  16  years 

This  constant  annual  increase  of  over  13  per  cent,  as  shown  by  the 
comparison  for  16  years,  represents  a larger  trade  development  than 
has  taken  place  in  any  other  considerable  part  of  the  world  during 
the  same  period.  There  is  no  reason  to  suppose  that  this  jatio  of 
increase  will  not  continue  for  a like  period  of  16  years  in  the  future. 

IMPORTS. 

What  does  Latin  America  buy  ? To  answer  this  question  cate- 
gorically by  enumerating  the  articles,  or  even  the  classes,  would  he 
to  name  nearly  all  the  finished  manufactured  products  of  Europe  or 
the  United  States,  the  standards  of  living  being  practically  the  same. 
Unlike  Europe  and  the  United  States,  Latin  America  produces  very 
few  of  these  articles.  Even  when  it  produces  the  raw  material,  it 
rarely  produces  the  finished  product,  or,  if  producing  at  all,  in  quan- 
tities or  qualities  sufficient  to  satisfy  the  home  demand. 

Generally  speaking,  the  imports  of  all  the  20  countries  are  of 
the  same  character.  This  general  statement  is  of  course  subject  to 
modifications  due  to  difference  of  climate  and,  in  the  case  of  primary 
food  products,  to  differences  of  home  production.  Of  course  heavy 
woolen  clothing  is  but  little  in  demand  in  tropical  countries,  while 
wheat  and  flour  are  largely  imported.  In  the  temperate  countries 
no  wheat  or  flour  is  imported,  but  the  clothing  is  heavier. 


LATIN-AMERIGA 

COMMERCE-1913 

TOTAlr  $2,864,876,224. 


PAN  AMERICAN  UN/ON 


978 


THE  PAN  AMEEICAN  UNION. 


United  States. 

1913 

cc  *T  '.S'  I'- 1--  CM  tp  lO 

r'*o  — oooopipoos 

■roc>iOcor-*05X 
^ IC  05  'P  ■*r  C<0  'P  P O 

P0'^'^*0‘0'n'05  1'*05 

cr*  o*  c-i  CO*  csT tc  o"  P tc* 

159,845,763 

52. 55 

r-oc'i'XQ’wooop 

1 POX4CO<— 'CCNOrO 

wcci  05^PCiOQ**r 

^-  O x X oo  lO  fo  O -t- 

•^OiC^CPP’^pc^O 

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165,991,582 

16.25 

325,837,  345 

24.59 

1912 

$49,  212,  836 

4,532,361 

2, 627,  700 

2,891,838 

> 2,754,940 

5,865,908 

3 5,413,305 

65,416,475 

5, 100,001 

7,302,484 

151,117,  848 

53. 58 

57,353,142 

1,791,911 

48,109,316 

16,806,341 

7,612,037 

‘ 2,588,168 

306, 467 

5, 763, 425 

<>  6, 2(X),  000 

6,832,438 

CC  *-l 
P 

cn  O 

cc 

o 

CO 

France. 

1913 

$9,168,978 
402,025 
418.111 
148,280 
! 256, 255 
391,681 

3 689, 634 

9, 202, 720 

274,318 

817,335 

21,769,337 

7.15 

38,933,537 

3 1,100,000 

31,939, 752 

6,623,260 

4, 408, 600 

2 616,053 

» 537, 000 

1,363, 191 

M,  100,000 

1,093,655 

88,715,048 

8.68 

110,484,385 

8. 34 

1912  - 

$7, 809, 138 
436, 882 
397, 252 
190, 382 
‘ 448, 264 
424, 189 
680, 784 
7, 706, 064 
224,912 
1,050,416 

19,368,283 

6.86 

36, 490, 020 

949, 885 

27,751,094 

7,261,061 

2,011,886 

1 714,426 

366, 778 

1,547,575 

‘ 4,300,000 

2,616, 400 

84,009,125 

8.  74 

10.3,377,408 

8.32 

Germany. 

1913 

$12,610,385 
2, 043,329 
713, 855 
558,327 

3 604,038 
1,355,417 

3 970, 263 
9,473,543 
1,677,833 
535, 544 

30,542,534 

10. 04 

69, 172, 279 
> 7,000,000 
57,043,754 
29,578,138 
4,012, 100 

2 2, 105, 372 

» 2,200,000 

5, 132, 039 

2 8,600,000 

2,589,986 

187,433,668 

18. 35 

217, 976, 202 

16.45 

1912 

$11,922,609 
2, 250, 862 
604, 674 
487, 969 
> 642, 753 
1,503,944 
957, 806 
8,431,201 
1,628,286 
484,915 

28,975,019 
10.  27 

62,023,258 
6,440,316 
53,018,079 
33,189,070 
4,201,125 
> 2,381,573 
1,508,737 
4,521,729 

2 8, 700, 000 
3,199,389 

179, 183, 276 

18.  65 

208, 158, 295 

16. 67 

United  Kingdom. 

1913 

$12,950,047 

1,650,387 

1,603,846 

751,051 

2 939, 290 
1,303,187 

3 2,453,118 
16, 071,787 
730, 191 
593,319 

39,046,823 
12.  83 

OSPOOfOQ«— 'QPO^ 
OCOO’^OC^OC'JPGJ 
OOOOS^COOC^OC^ 

oTcT  t-T  oc'r^otT 

»ou?oceseo»/>OPP05 

oaocooocoot^pcj 

CC  M eo  ^ 

283,181,250 

27.73 

322,228,073 

24.32 

1912 

$10,753,154 

1,7,39,598 

1,904,516 

546,473 

1 1,412,296 
1,391,003 
2,421,637 
15,397,649 
720, 242 
761,206 

37,047,804 

13.48 

115,109,149 
3,537,112 
77,615,548 
38, 616, 886 
7, 838, 879 
> 2,844,473 
1,301,454 
6,648,368 

2 13,800,000 
4,284,886 

271,596,755 
28.  27 

CJ  -w- 
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o 

crT 

o 

CO 

Total  from  all  countries. 

i 

1913 

$97, 886, 169 
10,062,328 
6,173,545 
5,132,678 

2 4, 966, 820 
8, 778, 497 

2 10, 000, 000 
143, 758, 736 
9, 272, 278 
8, 100, 125 

304,131,178 

100 

408,711,966 
21,357,505 
326,428,509 
120, 274,001 
28,535,800 
> 10,354,564 
7,671,551 
29,591,452 
50,666,000 
18, 030, 103 

1,021,621,451 

100 

1,325,752,627 

100 

1912 

$91,331,155 
9,822,462 
6, 774, 859 
4,317,314 
> 5, 724,095 
10,187,686 
9,871,817 
125,902,241 
8, 217,898 
9,876,555 

1 282,026,482 

1 100 

373,307,865 
19, 308, 506 
308, 243, 736 
122,075,994 
23,964,623 

I 11,489,104 
5,190,082 
24,982, 047 
51,355,200 
20,568,939 

960,486,096 

100 

1,242,512,578 

100 

Coimtrie.s. 

Mexico 

Guatemala 

Salvador 

Honduras 

Nicaragua 

Costa  Rica 

Panama 

Cuba 

Dominican  Republic 

Haiti  < 

North  American  Republics 

Per  cent  of  imports 

Argentina 

Bolivia 

Brazil 

Chile 

Colombia 

Ecuador 

Paraguay 

Peru 

Uruguay 

Venezuela 

South  American  Republics 

Per  cent  of  imports 

Total  of  the  20  Republics 

Per  cent  of  imports 

1 1911.  * 1912.  • Partly  estimated.  < Fiscal  year  ending  Sept.  30,  1913.  * Estimated. 


LATIN  AMERICAN  FOREIGN  TRADE  IN  1913 — GENERAL  SURVEY. 


CO 

O 

M 

H 

I 

n 

< 

A 

H 

O 

o 

M 

H 

0 

m 

M 

A 

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CO 


United  States. 

1913 

■^■^  — 30X0004000 
ICIOIOX’^'^O'^OO 

ooox  — to*— 'OcOr^O 
h-T  ~o'co040r'»0c^00 

— C^CSSD  0 00X00 

OOXXh-CS  — f-OO 
tcrx“c4“cT— loe^— trT-T 
::  ..  .„ 

«« 

273,212,328 

71.60 

22, 207, 965 

218, 195 

102, 562,923 

30,418,801 

18,861,800 

2 3,957,306 

6 70 

14,741,639 

2,972,222 

8,475,  251 

204,416,172 

17.  65 

477, 628, 500 

31.03 

1912 

$112,729,950 

3,863,829 

2, 955,  794 

2, 722,009 

1 2, 056, 622 

.5,025,694 

1,779,660 

145, 185,933 

7,274,606 

5 1,100,000 

X Oi 

o r-- 

fO 

X 

1 

31,419,413 

152, 976 

141,914,885 

24,514,565 

15, 832, 882 

> 3, 185, 808 

593 

17,495, 276 

2,670, 779 

9,907,604 

247,094,781 

20.98 

531, 788, 884 

1 34. 43 

1 

France. 

1913 

Ooccoo^^oxr-^O 

OcO'^OXOO-rOO 

lOCSXtcOOOOtCOO 

ifl'i-ro"'  — ' o*  o”  oT  o’" 

c^05.«  XXO 
%/i  O tO  0X0 

ro  cT  — to 

13,932,826 

3.65 

36,586,981 

1,783,017 

38,685,561 

8,858,313 

797,900 

2 4,096,863 

33,069 

1,566,495 

2 12, 000,000 

9,988,043 

Ci  r- 
■^  X 
!N  . 

CD 

Oi 

X 

128,329,068 

8.34 

1912 

$4,164,911 
969 
1,510, 492 
1,817 
> 2, 619, 219 
131,683 
7,863 
2,574,735 
933,212 

5 8,500,000 

20,444,921 

5. 15 

34,970,449 

2,133,950 

35,514,990 

7,668,570 

625, 199 

1 4,530, 135 

33,199 

2,730,698 

8,801,137 

6,822,992 

103,831,319 

8. 81 

124, 276, 240 

7.89 

Germany. 

1913 

88, 219, 009 
7,051,557 
1,699,694 
176,112 

2 702,  250 
509,804 

5 240,000 
4,707,548 
2,068,384 

5 4,200,000 

30,176,364 
7. 91 

XXOXO'-CO'^J'QX 
Oic  — t'-OtCXXOcO 
xr-.'T(XC8jcotoxot-. 

<x  Cl  cT to'vT x“o‘o  ro 
r^oojx  — c^ooQto 
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158, 979, 808 

13.73 

189, 156, 172 

12.  22 

1912 

$5, 158, 365 
6,975,006 
2,  294,500 
128, 756 
> 1,075,044 
559, 566 
202, 152 
6,199,172 
1,774,049 

5 6,100,000 

30,466,610 
7. 68 

52,375,320 
4,368,301 
51,928,195 
28,060,695 
1,854,211 
> 2, 136, 695 
847,829 
3, 205,  496 
7,905,882 
3,942,708 

156, 625, 332 

13.31 

187,091,942 

11.88 

United  Kingdom. 

1913 

— 00X00 

»o  O o X X o o ' O 

t0OO'*rf0*»TO  — XO 
co'oo''r^iC'^ot'->-ro 
t>.00  — — OXiM'^O 
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to—  OO 

¥> 

42,327,445 
11. 10 

t>.r^ioxoxcoC'X 
t^x— ■^or^o  — o»c 
r^oxioocsc8i  — oo 
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r>- 1/5  to  o tc  o — 

rc  cT  — “ irT  to'c^r  CD  oT  Df 

— ■TT'  l-O  ^ *^0 

279,030,868 

24.09 

321,358,313 

20.88 

1912 

$20, 099, 328 
1,458,498 
445,456 
20,051 
> 523, 100 
4,193,036 
72,714 
11,446,336 
1,242,980 

5 1,300,000 

40,801,499 
10.  28 

117,732,157 
26,112,023 
43,065,547 
55, 102, 650 
4,376,182 
‘ 984,831 
1,018 
15,734,561 
6, 545, 892 
1,038,551 

270,693,412 
22. 91 

— o 

— 

Oi  . 

a>  ^ 

X 

Total  to  all  countries. 

1913 

8150, 202, 808 
14,449,926 
9,928, 724 
3,300,254 

2 3,861,516 
10,432,553 
2, 467,556 
164,823,059 
10,469,947 
11,315,559 

381,251,902 

100 

468,999,410 

36,551,390 

315,164,687 

144,653,312 

34,315,800 

2 13,689,696 
5,462,001 
44,409,610 
65,142,000 
29, 483, 789 

1, 157, 871, 695 
100 

1,539,123,597 

100 

1912 

$148,994,564 
13, 156, 538 
9,912, 184 
3, 080, 178 
> 6,579,414 
10,071,144 
2,064,648 
172,978,328 
12,385,248 
17,285,485 

396,537,731 

100 

465,979,518 
35,147,965 
362,794,846 
139, 878, 201 
32,221,746 

1 12, 692, 237 
4,10.8,651 
45,871,504 
53, 040, 000 
25, 260, 908 

1,176,995, 576 
100 

1,573,533,307 

100 

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I 1911.  ' 1912.  5 Partly  estimated.  < Fiscal  year  ending  Sept.  30,  1913.  6 Estimated. 


980 


THE  PAN  AMERICAN  UNION. 


EXPORTS. 

On  the  contrary,  Latin  American  exports,  while  in  general  falling 
in  one  class — that  is,  raw  materials  for  use  in  manufacturing,  metals, 
and  primary  food  products — yet,  owing  to  the  great  differences  of 
soil,  climate,  rainfall,  and  other  natural  conditions,  the  proximity  to 
or  remoteness  from  markets  and  the  degree  of  development  in  trans- 
portation, are  widely  differentiated  in  the  several  countries. 

The  greatest  mining  development  is  in  such  countries  as  Mexico, 
Colombia,  Peru,  Bolivia,  and  Chile.  But  there  is  a wide  difference 
in  the  character  of  mining  and  in  the  class  of  minerals  exploited  in 
these  countries.  Gold  is  produced,  but  in  no  very  great  quantities, 
in  many  of  the  countries,  but  only  in  Mexico  and  Colombia  does  the 
production  of  gold  attain  to  figures  of  world  importance.  Silver  is 
produced  in  many  countries,  but  only  in  Mexico  to  a considerable 
amount.  The  rarer  metals,  platinum,  vanadium,  and  the  like,  are 
found,  often  in  good-paying  quantities,  all  through  the  Andes,  from 
Colombia  to  Chile.  Chile,  Peru,  and  Bolivia  are  the  principal  pro- 
ducers of  copper;  Cuba  of  iron  ore,  although  the  great  deposits  of 
Chile  and  of  Brazil  will  undoubtedly  soon  come  into  the  market. 
Mexico  and  Peru  are  at  present  the  principal  sources  of  the  Latin 
American  supply  of  crude  oils,  but  the  known  fields  of  Colombia, 
Venezuela,  Ecuador,  and  Central  America  will  no  doubt  soon  be 
developed.  Bolivia  is  the  great  source  of  tin  and  bismuth. 

The  exportation  of  forest  products,  outside  of  rubber,  ivory  nuts, 
and  quebracho,  has  not  attained  in  any  country  the  importance 
that  it  is  destined  to  attain  in  most  of  them. 

Rubber  as  a forest  product  is  exported  from  all  of  the  Latin  Amer- 
ican countries  except  those  of  the  southern  third  of  South  America — 
that  is,  excepting  those  within  the  Temperate  Zone.  Brazil  is  the 
principal  exporter.  Bolivia,  Peru,  Ecuador,  Colombia,  Venezuela, 
Mexico,  and  Central  America  all  produce  considerable  amounts. 

Tlie  export  of  woods,  particularly  fine  cabinet  woods,  can  scarcely 
be  said  to  have  made  a beginning  in  any  of  the  countries.  Its  prin- 
cipal development  has  been  in  the  countries  bordering  on  the  Carib- 
bean. 

The  great  possibilities  of  the  animal  industries  in  nearl}",  if  not  all, 
of  the  Latin  American  countries  as  a basis  of  an  export  trade  have 
been  taken  advantage  of  in  comparatively  few  of  them.  Outside  of 
Argentina,  Chile,  Uruguay,  and  southern  Brazil,  animal  industries 
are  generally  limited  to  supplying  home  needs  and  the  exportation 
of  by-products — hides,  hoofs,  etc.  The  great  possibilities  of  western 
Brazil,  Bolivia,  Peru,  Ecuador,  Colombia,  Venezuela,  Mexico,  and 
Central  America  as  meat-exporting  countries  await  development  in 
the  future. 


LATIN  AMERICAN  FOREIGN  TRADE  IN  1913 GENERAL  SURVEY.  981 

Coffee  is  an  export  of  all  the  countries  bordering  on  the  Caribbean, 
and,  in  addition,  Ecuador,  Peru,  and  Brazil — Brazil,  of  course,  being 
the  principal  source  of  the  world’s  supply  of  coffee. 

Cacao  is  produced  in  general  in  all  the  countries  producing  coffee, 
though  not  in  the  same  localities. 

The  export  of  grain,  wheat,  oats,  hnseed,  Indian  corn,  flour,  bran, 
and  hay  is  from  Argentina,  although  Chile  exports  some  small  quan- 
tities of  these  farm  products  and  in  addition  beans  and  fruits.  Out- 
side of  the  countries  named,  most  Latin  American  countries  are 
importers  of  wheat  and  flour.  This  condition  will  exist  for  some  time 
to  come. 

Cuba  is  the  principal  sugar  country,  its  production  being  far  in 
excess  of  all  the  rest  of  America;  but  the  Dominican  Repubhc,  Haiti, 
and  Peru  are  also  exporters. 

DISTRIBUTION  OF  TRADE. 

The  United  States  controls  nearly  three-tenths  of  all  Latin  Ameri- 
can trade.  This  is  over  one-third  to  one-half  more  than  that  con- 
trolled by  its  nearest  rival,  the  United  Kingdom,  and  double  or  more 
than  double  the  proportion  of  Germany.  To  many  Americans  this 
statement  sometimes  causes  surprise.  The  erroneous  impression  too 
often  left  by  writers  on  Latin  American  trade  subjects,  particularly 
if  they  be  North  Americans,  is  that  the  United  States  is  woefully 
behind  in  Latin  American  trade.  This  is  far  from  being  true  if  the 
whole  trade  be  taken  as  a basis.  The  following  tables  show  the  total 
trade  of  Latin  America  for  the  years  1912  and  1913  and  the  propor- 
tionate share  of  the  four  leading  commercial  countries  in  this  trade: 

Total  trade,  1912,  all  Latin  America. 

Imports,  $1,242,512,578;  exports,  $1,573,533,307;  total,  $2,816,- 
045,885. 

SHARE  OF  FOUR  LEADING  COMMERCIAL  COUNTRIES. 


Imports. 

Per  cent. 

Exports. 

Per  cent. 

Total. 

Per  cent. 

United  States 

$.304,481,093 

24.50 

$531,788,884 

34.43 

$836, 269, 977 

29. 70 

United  Kingdom 

.308,t>44,559 

24. 84 

311,494,911 

19. 79 

620,139,460 

22.02 

Germany 

208,158,295 

16.  67 

187,091,942 

11.88 

395,250,237 

14.04 

France 

103,377,408 

8.32 

124, 276, 240 

7.89 

227,653,048 

8.08 

Total  trade,  1913,  all  Latin  America. 

Imports,  $1,325,752,627;  exports,  $1,539,123,597;  total,  $2,864,- 
876,224. 

SHARE  OF  FOUR  LEADING  COMMERCIAL  COUNTRIES. 


Imports. 

Per  cent. 

Exports. 

Per  cent. 

Total. 

Per  cent. 

United  States 

$325,837,345 
322,  228,073 
217,976,202 
110,484,385 

24.59 

$477,628,500 
321,353,313 
189, 156, 172 
128,329,068 

31.03 

$803,465,845 

643,586,386 

28.04 

United  Kingdom 

24.32 

20. 88 

22. 46 

Germany 

16.45 

12.  22 

406,132,374 

238,813,453 

14.18 

France.; 

8.34 

8.34 

8.33 

982 


THE  PAK  AMERICAN  UNION. 


In  the  northern  group  of  states,  Mexico,  Central  America,  Cuba, 
Haiti,  and  the  Dominican  Repubhc,  to  which  is  added  Venezuela 
and  Colombia  in  South  America,  the  United  States  controls  about 
60  per  cent  of  the  whole  trade  of  these  12  countries,  as  is  shown  by 
the  following  table ; 


Imports. 

Exports. 

Total. 

1913. 

Total  trade 

Share  of  the  United  States 

Per  cent  of  the  United  States 

*350,697,079 

174,419,399 

49.7 

*445,051,491 

300,549,379 

67.5 

*795,748,570 

474,968,778 

59.6 

In  addition  to  the  countries  mentioned,  the  United  States  leads  in 
the  total  trade  of  Ecuador,  in  Peru  it  leads  in  imports,  and  is  a close 
second  to  the  United  Kingdom  in  total  trade.  In  Brazil,  it  has  a 
commanding  lead  in  exports,  its  takings  from  Brazil  being  more 
than  Dvice  that  of  any  other  two  countries.  In  the  five  countries  not 
mentioned  the  trade  of  the  United  States  ranks  below  that  of  both 
the  United  Kingdom  and  Germany. 

For  a number  of  years  the  United  States  has  been  the  leading 
country  in  Latin  American  exports;  that  is,  it  has  taken  more  of  the 
products  of  these  Repubhcs  than  has  any  other  country  of  the  world, 
but  heretofore  it  has  always  been  second  to  the  United  Kingdom^- 
In  1913,  for  the  first  time  in  history,  the  United  States  led  in  Latin 
American  imports  as  well  as  in  exports.  This  is  the  most  significant 
fact  to  be  derived  from  the  study  of  the  figures  for  that  year.  So 
far  from  being  distanced  by  Europe,  the  United  States  has  in  fact 
gained  more  rapidly  than  any  of  its  rivals,  not  only  in  the  northern 
or  nearby  group  countries,  but  also  in  the  southern.  Under  normal 
conditions  and  if  the  Euroj)ean  war  had  never  occurred,  everything 
pointed  to  the  behef  that  the  great  bulk  of  the  trade,  both  in  imports 
and  in  exports,  for  nearly  every  one  of  the  Latin  American  countries 
would  in  a few  years  move  north  and  south  and  not  east  and  west. 


# IN  iMrop':^s. 


I 


FT 

r; 

1 


I 

f. 


The  pan  AMERICAN  UNION  is  the  inter- 
national organization  and  office  maintained 
in  Washington,  D.  C.,  by  the  twenty=one 
American  republics,  as  follows:  Argentina,  Bolivia, 
Brazil,  Chile,  Colombia,  Costa  Rica,  Cuba,  Domini- 
can Republic,  Ecuador,  Guatemala,  Haiti,  Honduras, 
Mexico,  Nicaragua,  Panama,  Paraguay,  Peru,  Salva- 
dor, United  States,  Uruguay,  and  Venezuela.  It  is 
devoted  to  the  development  and  advancement  of 
commerce,  friendly  intercourse,  and  good  under- 
standing among  these  countries.  It  is  supported  by 
quotas  contributed  by  each  country,  based  upon  the 
population.  Its  affairs  are  administered  by  a Direc- 
tor General  and  Assistant  Director,  elected  by  and 
responsible  to  a Governing  Board,  which  is  com- 
posed of  the  Secretary  of  State  of  the  United  States 
and  the  diplomatic  representatives  in  Washington 
of  the  other  American  governments.  These  two 
executive  officers  are  assisted  by  a staff  of  inter- 
national experts,  statisticians,  commercial  special- 
ists, editors,  translators,  compilers,  librarians,  clerks 
and  stenographers.  The  Union  publishes  a Monthly 
Bulletin  in  English,  Spanish,  Portuguese  and  French, 
which  is  a careful  record  of  Pan  American  progress. 
It  also  publishes  numerous  special  reports  and  pam- 
phlets on  various  subjects  of  practical  information. 
Its  library,  the  Columbus  Memorial  Library,  con- 
tains 30,000  volumes,  15,000  photographs,  100,000 
index  cards,  and  a large  collection  of  maps.  The 
Union  is  housed  in  a beautiful  building  erected 
through  the  munificence  of  Andrew  Carnegie. 


